


The Butterfly Waltz

by NiscuitGravy



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Blind Ignis Scientia, Dancing, Drabble, Fluff, M/M, World of Ruin, tender moments
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-17 22:14:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21700579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NiscuitGravy/pseuds/NiscuitGravy
Summary: “I don’t mind, Ignis. I’ll count for you. I just… want this again.”Ignis chuckled, clearly uncomfortable with the task now at hand. Prompto would have regretted asking such a thing of him, as now it seemed almost patronizing under his current circumstance. But all his shame was nipped right in the bud as Ignis took his hand and stood with him, pressing a kiss to the back of his knuckles like the perfect gentleman he was.“Then darling, I will try my best to give it to you.”
Relationships: Prompto Argentum/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 7
Kudos: 50





	The Butterfly Waltz

Prompto fumbled with the ring on his finger. He smiled, seeing glints of candlelight flicker and bounce from its surface across the rest of his hand. Under the veil of darkness, watching the dancing reflection had become a semblance of “leisure”. True leisure was much harder to come by. While it had been nearly a decade since the sun had last lit the sky, the fun-loving man had still never truly acclimated to the much more subdued life in the night. Even in the glitzy city of Lestallum, the “night” life had vanished in favor of survival. The beautiful tourist resorts of Galdin Quay and Altissia now lay in ruin, and all the splendor of the natural world had shriveled in the absence of the sun.  
  
Life was cold. Life was dark. There was no time for “fun”. There was time to forage, time to hunt, and then time to rest. Such a life would be unfortunate if it were lived alone, but Prompto was plenty fortunate that he didn’t have to. He peered over at Ignis, who sat silently in the recliner across the room. The blind man stared straight ahead, gazing at everything and nothing all at once through the blackness of his eyes.  
  
Prompto stretched back on the couch, feeling his spine crack from the bottom up. He wondered what it would be like to be blind. He had bitterly recalled the one time he’d asked Ignis outright how it had felt to see everything one day, and be in total blackness the next. He was met with silence followed by a bitter rejection of such a question. While he was able to retract his words with an abundance of apologies and kisses, he had made a mental note to ignore his lover’s impediment and only make mention when absolutely necessary. After all, each of them lost nearly everything. Despite what they had to put aside to be strong and grow with the radical change, no one took these changes as well as they had to pretend they did. The old photos on Prompto’s camera were beginning to look like mere images rather than memories, and it was a harrowing thought to realize that the sound of Noctis’ voice would only continue to fade into oblivion until the day he might return. Yet, over ten years, the hopeful mantra of “Noct _will_ be back” had contorted into a shrugged reply of “ _wouldn’t that be nice_ ”.  
  
The days of sun, laughter and and really _living_ all seemed so long ago. Even so, photographs and keepsakes reminded him of the fact that those days were still a part of his own life. Prompto returned his attention to the ring on his finger, still shining brightly. HIs lips curled into a smile, recalling the day that Ignis had purchased it for him in Lestallum. He remembered the flush of his cheeks and the tears that welled in his eyes as Ignis had slid it onto his finger, then cupped both hands around Prompto’s. He looked at Ignis, meeting his intense emerald eyes as the older smiled.  
  
“My dear Prompto,” he had said with earnest, “when this is all over, we _will_ spend our lives together, and that is my promise.”  
  
Prompto clung to him and cried tears of joy, Ignis pressing kisses to whatever patch of his face was exposed. Gladio patted them both on their backs with a smile. Noctis followed, enveloping them all into an embrace.  
  
It was a bittersweet memory, as even the wise Ignis would be blindsided (no pun intended) by the tragedies that followed. No royal wedding would ensue. No fancy parties, no home with a courtyard in the upscale suburbs of the royal city. But Prompto didn’t mind. He looked up to see his exhausted lover, still with him, after all these years.  
  
They’ve spent their lives together. Ignis had kept his promise.  
  
He just hoped it was still what Ignis wanted.  
  
Prompto’s mind ventured back to their very first dance, the Citadel ball that followed the signing of some royal decree whose significance was no longer relevant. He recalled the waltz that Ignis had pulled him into,the meekness that enrobed him as his new lover had guided him, whispering quiet “one, two, three”s into his ear as they stepped to the melody. Since that day, Ignis had spent significant time dancing with him. It was either a pleasurable pastime that evolved into their own shared skill, or a sultry lead-up to intimate moments. The two men stepped to rhythms together, counting their steps in time anywhere from the bedroom to the fire around their campsite.  
  
Since Ignis had lost his sight, however, their days of waltzing had been lost with it.  
  
Ignis shuffled and cleared his throat, clearly awake. Prompto’s heart picked up its pace as little hope flickered in his mind. He hadn’t wanted to disturb whatever thought train was barrelling through the other’s mind in their languid, comfortable silence, but he felt that they both needed a flicker of a memory in these dark days.  
  
He stood, making minimal sound as he walked into the neighboring dining room, quietly opening the cabinet door that housed the old Mp3 player and docking station. He plugged it into the outlet, then selected the song he hadn’t heard in years. Simply seeing the name “Butterfly Waltz” in pixelated text sent trills of shivers up his spine.  
  
Stretching the cord considerably, he quietly walked the device across the room to where Ignis sat, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.  
  
“Everything alright, darling?” the older man hummed.  
  
“Perfectly alright,” Prompto said, feeling butterflies from the days of old awaken and dance in his stomach. “I was wondering something.”  
  
“And what’s that?”  
  
Prompto pressed the “play” button, allowing the first few measures to precede his question before holding out a meek hand.  
  
“May I have this dance?”  
  
Ignis smiled halfway, his head tilting up towards Prompto. “It’s been years, and I’m not sure if I can-”  
  
“I don’t mind, Ignis. I’ll count for you. I just… want this again.”  
  
Ignis chuckled, clearly uncomfortable with the task now at hand. Prompto would have regretted asking such a thing of him, as now it seemed almost patronizing under his current circumstance. But all his shame was nipped right in the bud as Ignis took his hand and stood with him, pressing a kiss to the back of his knuckles like the perfect gentleman he was.  
  
“Then darling, I will try my best to give it to you.”  
  
Prompto’s heart swelled as he placed the device gently onto the table, wrapping one arm around Ignis’ neck and taking his hand with the other. The first few notes sounded dusty, nostalgic, and Prompto guided their clumsy footsteps as he led.  
  
“One, two, three” he repeated until their footsteps followed.  
  
They both still remembered.  
  
It wasn’t long before both of them were gliding past the chairs, past the table and the stove as they chuckled, flashes of the last eleven years of their love dancing with them through each step. Ignis’ lack of eyesight had seldom impacted all of the things he was capable of doing, and Prompto was overjoyed that he could now add “dancing” to that list.  
  
Prompto latched onto Ignis’ hands, unable to stop the emotion that welled behind his eyes, leaking out in tears down his cheeks and very audible sniffles along with them.  
  


  
“Darling,” Ignis slowed his steps, “what’s wrong?”

“N-nothing,” Prompto choked back, attempting to continue their waltz before being stopped by his lovers’ foot softly stepping on top of his own.

“Your tears certainly don’t sound like ‘nothing’. Am I really that bad?”

Prompto shook his head intensely, even though Ignis couldn’t see him. “No! Not at all! I just…”

“You just?”

Prompto embraced Ignis, letting his emotions spill in trickles down his cheeks.

“I just love you so much, Iggy. We’ve been through everything. And it just… makes me so happy to know that you kept this promise, this ring I wear. You’re still with me. Even if being with me under these conditions isn’t exactly what you want. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry all this happened, and it wasn’t what you expected... I-”

Ignis embraced him back, holding him in place and running a calm hand through the blonde tufts of his hair. “Darling, by the Astrals I will hold my promise to you. When I made such a vow, I didn’t only intend for it to stretch as far as we could see - but also what we couldn’t see.”

Ignis said the last few words bitterly, sighing as he pressed his lips to Prompto’s forehead.

“Whatever tragedy or blessing our future beholds, my Prompto, I will be here to share it with you. And that has always been my promise.”

“You still want this? You promise that still want to live here with me in the dark?” Prompto whispered past a sniffle.

Ignis cupped his face, pressing those soft, sweet lips to his own.

“Always.”

Prompto wrapped his arms around Ignis’ shoulders as the last few notes of the waltz faded into silence. The unity of their hearts beating as they kissed was the only sound that mattered.

“Now Prompto,” Ignis said, pulling away only to bow and extend and a hand. “I believe I would fancy yet another of many dances with you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Based on this song:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qOeNnhUb4A
> 
> Beta-read by EzraTheBlue and Talliya, thank you!


End file.
